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- JG300-fr8ycat

Well I didn't serve but the photos and 8MM footage I was able to talk my father into giving me mean a great deal. Kind of a history of his service.

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Richard,
That M60A1 Knox footage is still uploaded on the server, I believe...and I posted a link to it early on on this forum. You might wanna' refresh us as where it is...I'm out the door for S. America for about 10 days so won't be around to help.

D.

Hi,

Your stories reminded me of some of the stuff I have. Weirdly, despite 26 years of service, I haven't got much of anything interesting of my own besides some banknotes from Iraq.

On the other hand, I have the poncho liner my Dad used in Vietnam, which he gave me on his return. It's a bit the worse for wear (the criss-cross stitching is mostly pulled out and the color has faded to a bright flourescent green), but it's still around. We also have two German Mauser rifles that he brought back. One was from a cache and in very good shape with a straight handle bolt. The other was given to him by an ROK Ranger friend, who stumbled on it in a rice paddy and shook the former user off of. It's not in such great shape, but it has a great story on top of the weird chain of events that lead it from Germany to Russia to Vietnam!

We have a 105mm solid shot that was picked up in the desert of Camp Irwin, probably from a 105mm Sherman. We also have a 76mm APBC projo (no cap), also from Camp Irwin. Both are great doorstops, and neat conversation items.

Neatest of all are the b/w photo collection my father shot in the early 60's in Europe and US. Some great candid shots of young tankers and their steeds, from the days when Real Men didn't wear earplugs on the firing line. (Yes, he wears hearing aids, and says "huh?" a lot...)

C

I have a section of discarding sabot I picked up on the street in Kafji, Saudi Arabia in March 1991. We halted the convoy for a pee and snapshot break along the main road as we were enroute to Kuwait City. I just looked down and there was this black glossy painted section of a dogbone. No penetrator. I can only dream it went through an Iraqi T55 about six weeks earlier.

I have other "stuff" I scavenged at the Mother of All Truck Wrecks outside Kuwait City on Easter Sunday, including an English language manual for a Russian Dragonov, a mag and a clip-on cheekrest. Another place I found some handwritten manuals on AAA from an Iraqi encampment outside Umm Qasr.

The only shineys I got in Bosnia were "trench art" embossed brass shell casings.

Hi everyone,
If it is shown my avatar is one of my souveniers, It's from an M60A1. I'm sure Doug probably recognizes it. I also have my Grandmothers "Mother's Crosses" for providing 2 sons to the "Fatherland" and my Grandfathers service cross from WWI (Austria). I still have my 105 firing pin I used to circuit test in Germany and Korea. They kept firing pins in the arms room since we were uploaded. Was a pain to draw them out. Having your own made life easier. Got a 105 shell casing too that some day I will put a dummy projectile in. I also have the data plate from the M551 I was on at Irwin. Couldn't bring back anything really cool during OIF 1, General Order #1, Just pictures. To bad. Just as well, the wife says I have too much junk anyway.

Joe D

- Joe_D

Hi everyone,
If it is shown my avatar is one of my souveniers, It's from an M60A1. I'm sure Doug probably recognizes it.
Joe D

Ballistic "computer", Im sure Im not the only one to recognize it, neither!

"Computer" , in this context (for you youngun`s) means nuthin electrical...cogs and wheels and such...like them big ol firing solution thingys on ships, only smaller. Dial in your ammo and stuff and elevation is automatically adjusted (didnt the coincidence rangefinder feed into this from the TC position as well?).

Gotta run...Im in Chile at the moment.

- Doug_Kibbey

Richard,
That M60A1 Knox footage is still uploaded on the server, I believe...and I posted a link to it early on on this forum. You might wanna' refresh us as where it is...I'm out the door for S. America for about 10 days so won't be around to help.D.

OK,

After talking to Pops here's the low down. He finished his time in VN in April of 1969 so he's pretty sure that 8MM footage would have been late 1969 because he was discharged from the Army in January of 71. It was shot at Fort Knox on the training range, I know FK is huge but no specifics.

The unit was the 194th Armored Brigade which according to him was used to train Tank Officers.

Also, anybody that hasn't seen it and d like to we can arrange it. PM myself or Kibbey.

Probably have my head in the clouds but there are other faces on this film and it would be cool if they turned up.